


Chamber

by YoruNoTenshi (TVXQmamacita)



Category: DBSK | Tohoshinki | TVfXQ | TVXQ, JYJ (Band), Super Junior
Genre: Alternate Universe, Family, Gen, Kidnapping
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-01
Updated: 2017-08-08
Packaged: 2018-12-09 22:48:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 9,078
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11678706
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TVXQmamacita/pseuds/YoruNoTenshi
Summary: There wasn't anything Yunho wouldn't do to get Changmin back.





	1. Chapter 1

Jung Yunho stood in his office, standing next to the window that overlooked Seoul. Such a sight usually calmed Yunho. Seoul was always a bustling city; nothing stayed still for more than a second. However, watching the chaos below usually distracted Yunho from the stress from above.

Yunho heard the door open, but didn’t bother to turn around. He already knew who it was.

“Yunho,” Jaejoong said, his voice more gentle than normal. He sighed. “They told me you’d still be here.”

Yunho bit his lip before turning around to face his friend.

“This isn’t over,” Jaejoong reassured him. “We know that Kim Jinwoo paid some witnesses off and threatened the rest. You couldn’t control that.”

Yunho shook his head. “I could lose this case,” he said. “Kim Jinwoo has killed _at least_ twelve people. He needs to be imprisoned!”

“You don’t think I know that?” Jaejoong asked. “We’ll just have to do more work, but we can make sure we win the trial and put him behind bars.”

Yunho felt his phone vibrating in his pocket, but he ignored it. He didn’t feel like talking to anyone else. “Kim Jinwoo kept telling me that I had no chance.”

“And he’s wrong,” Jaejoong countered. “You’re not scared of him, unlike a lot of prosecutors. You’re one of the few that he can’t control.”

Yunho nodded. “I know,” he replied. “I’m just at a complete loss here. I thought for sure we had everything we needed in order to win.”

“You do,” Jaejoong said. “We just need a different approach.”

Yunho sighed. “Which I feel that I’m running out of,” he admitted in defeat.

“We still have two witnesses against him,” Jaejoong reminded him. “They may provide us with a lot more help than you realize.”

Yunho nodded. He suddenly felt a little better at Jaejoong’s words. The older one always had that effect on him, for which he was very grateful.

“Why don’t you just go home?” Jaejoong suggested.

“How can I go home when-”

“You’re not at your best when you’re like this,” Jaejoong reminded him. “Go home. Get some rest. We can come up with a new game plan tomorrow.” He smiled. “Spend some time with Changmin. I know he won’t admit it, but he probably misses you.”

Yunho sighed. Jaejoong had a good point. It had been a while since Yunho got to spend some quality time with his little brother. “Fine,” he surrendered. “But I’ll be back here 8 in the morning.”

Jaejoong nodded. “I know you will,” he said. “And I’ll be here too.”

Before Yunho could say anything else, the door to his office flew open. The two men in the room turned to see the panicked receptionist at the doorway.

“Juhyun,” Yunho said in concern. He had never seen her like this, and couldn’t begin to imagine what could cause her to be in this state.

“The police called,” Juhyun answered before Yunho could say anything else. Noticing the worried looks on Yunho and Jaejoong’s faces, she continued. “They said they called your cell phone first but you didn’t answer.”

Yunho pulled out his phone to see the alert of a missed call. He furrowed his eyebrows in confusion.

“What’s going on, Juhyun?” Jaejoong finally asked. Yunho missing phone calls wasn’t an unusual thing, and Jaejoong felt chills run through his spine at the shakiness of Juhyun’s voice. If this had something to do with a case, Juhyun wouldn’t be acting like this.

Even if it had to do with one that seemed impossible to win.

“Mr. Jung,” she said softly. “Someone took Changmin.”

Yunho looked up. “What did you say?” he asked breathlessly.

“I’m so sorry,” Juhyun said, her eyes watering as she continued speaking. “S-someone kidnapped Changmin.”

“No,” Yunho breathed out. He ran his fingers through his hair. “No. No. What’s _really_ going on?” There was a lump suddenly forming in his throat, and Yunho was finding it harder to breathe.

Jaejoong noticed this immediately, and led his friend to the chair at his desk. “Breathe, Yunho,” he commanded, rubbing Yunho’s back. That was the only way he knew how to comfort him. Jaejoong looked towards Juhyun. “Did they say anything else?”

Juhyun swallowed. “It happened near his school campus,” she answered.

“I’m gonna call Changmin,” Yunho suddenly announced.

Jaejoong didn’t have the heart to tell his friend that Changmin wouldn’t answer. He knew that Yunho just wanted to make sure for himself.

With trembling hands, Yunho quickly dialed Changmin’s number before placing the phone to his ear. A moment later and “he’s not picking up.”

Jaejoong saw the color leave from Yunho’s face. “Yunho, let’s not panic yet,” he said. “You won’t help Changmin that way.”

As if on cue, Yunho’s phone rang at that moment. The caller ID showed a blocked number, and Yunho was sure that it was no coincidence that a blocked number would call him right after receiving news that his brother was taken.

“Hello?” Yunho answered the phone. He tried to sound as calm as possible, but he was sure he was failing.

_“Nice to hear from you, Prosecutor Jung. Changmin’s stay here would have been much harder if you had avoided my call.”_

The voice sounded unfamiliar to Yunho, so the possibility of finding out who could have done this was already low. “Where’s Changmin?” Yunho asked. “I want to speak to him.”

 _“You can,”_ the man responded. _“But I want you and I to talk first.”_

“Not until I know that Changmin is okay!” Yunho ordered, standing up from his chair.

 _“Calm down, Jung Yunho,”_ he warned. _“Remember that Changmin is counting on you to not upset me.”_

Yunho bit his lip to avoid saying the first thing that popped into his head. “Okay,” he finally said after taking a deep breath. “Tell me what you want but please...don’t hurt Changmin.” He didn’t care how pathetic he might have sounded. He needed to make sure Changmin returned home safe.

 _“That’s the spirit, Yunho.”_ There was a long pause. _“I’ve come to find out that a friend of mine is currently facing a trial being led by you.”_

Yunho felt his heart rate increase. He already had a feeling he knew where this conversation was going to go from here.

_“I want everything you have on Kim Jinwoo. This trial won’t continue, and Jinwoo walks away.”_

Yunho scoffed. “That’s illegal,” he said. “Besides, after everything your _friend_ has done, he doesn’t deserve to just walk away.”

 _“But does your brother deserve to die?”_ the man asked, causing Yunho’s eyes to widen. _“Because you do realize that if we don’t get what we want, you don’t get back Changmin?”_

“You shouldn’t even have brought Changmin into this,” Yunho countered, though he remembered to not yell before the man did something to Changmin.

 _“What’s more important?”_ the man asked. _“The law? Or your brother?”_

Yunho bit his lip.

 _“You have twenty-four hours, Jung Yunho,”_ the man warned.

“Can I speak to Changmin?” Yunho asked.

 _“A deal is a deal,”_ the man replied.

Yunho heard shuffling before Changmin’s voice sounded over the phone. _“Hyung?”_

Yunho immediately picked up on the fact that something wasn’t right. “Changmin-ah,” he said. “Are you okay?”

_“Mm...yes…”_

The anger Yunho was already feeling immediately doubled. He drugged him. That man actually drugged his little brother. “Changmin. Everything’s going to be fine, okay? I’ll get you home as soon as I can.”

_“I...know.”_

_“Time’s up,”_ the kidnapper said.

“You drugged him,” Yunho said, clenching his fist.

 _“Couldn’t risk him causing any trouble,”_ he replied. _“Get us what we need. In the meantime, We’ll give you four hours until the next call; you know...to make sure you staying focused.”_

“Fine,” Yunho said begrudgingly.

There was a short chuckle that made Yunho shiver. _“And just to make sure you stay motivated…”_

Yunho’s heart began to race. “No,” he said, ignoring the questioning looks from Juhyun and Jaejoong. “You don’t need to-”

His words were cut off by the sound of Changmin’s screaming.

“Stop!” Yunho begged. “Stop please!”

 _“We’re serious, Yunho,”_ the man said after Changmin’s screams died down. _“Don’t play any games or we’ll do a lot worse. Are we clear?”_

Yunho nodded, before realizing that he couldn’t be seen over the phone. “Yes,” he said breathlessly. “You’re clear. Just leave Min alone.”

_“By the way, it’s best we not get the police involved. I would hate to have to put a bullet through Changmin’s brain.”_

The call ended after that. Yunho collapsed back into his chair, waiting for the room to stop spinning.

* * *

Changmin felt a sharp sting on his cheek.

“Wake up,” a voice said. It sounded so far away. Under normal circumstances, Changmin would have recognized the aggression behind the voice. But for some reason, Changmin couldn’t put together much of anything right now. His body felt heavy, like a block of lead; and his mind seemed so clouded.

Changmin’s hands were tied behind him; he only realized that after something struck his cheek once more. Changmin tried to swat away whatever it was, but felt something cutting into his wrists instead.

“Stop,” Changmin whined. The sound of his own voice shocked him. Why did he sound so pathetic?

“He’s waking up,” another voice said. “Get the phone.”

Changmin finally forced his eyes open. He panicked slightly when all he saw was blackness, before he realized he was blindfolded. The tight fabric around his head and covering his eyes gave him the confirmation he needed.

“Where’m I?” he asked, wishing his words would stop slurring, but he was so tired and confused.

“Don’t ask too many questions and just do what we say,” the first voice commanded. Now that the voice sounded less muffled to Changmin, he could hear how gravelly the man’s voice sounded, and it made Changmin shiver. “This can either go smoothly, or end in disaster.”

Changmin didn’t have a reply for that statement, and he was sure it had to do with how slow his brain was working in his current state.

There was silence in the room. The fact Changmin couldn’t see anything was frustrating him. What was going on?

“Nice to hear from you, Prosecutor Jung,” the second voice said. This voice sounded much less intimidating. Changmin probably would have not felt so threatened by this man if they had met under different circumstances, like not getting kidnapped. “Changmin’s stay here would have been much harder if you kept avoiding my calls.”

Changmin’s body went stiff at the sound once he realized that these people were speaking to his older brother.

“You can,” the man responded. “But I want you and I to talk first.”

Changmin’s mind was still foggy, but it didn’t take too much brain power to realize that he was in the middle of a ransom demand.

Becoming a lawyer was the only thing Yunho ever wanted to do. Changmin couldn’t remember a time he saw Yunho as happy as the day he became a prosecutor. Despite that joy, Yunho couldn’t help but worry about Changmin’s safety. Yunho knew that he’d encounter dangerous people, and was worried that those same people would threaten Changmin in order to get what they wanted. It’s something he’d seen before, and Yunho wouldn’t have been able to forgive himself if anything happened to his little brother.

Changmin really didn’t like seeing Yunho so concerned. Although Changmin spent a good amount of time reassuring Yunho that everything would be fine, Yunho still taught Changmin a few Hapkido moves he had learned in high school in order for the younger one to defend himself if the time ever came.

Some good those lessons were now. Changmin didn’t even get a chance to use them because here he was, tied up, blindfolded, and possibly drugged.

The last thing Changmin remembered was leaving his history lecture before texting his friend Kyuhyun about meeting up at a coffee shop near school.

Changmin couldn’t remember whether or not he made it.

The only thing he could do was hope that Kyuhyun didn’t get caught in the middle of this.

Changmin must have gotten lost in his head, because the next thing he knew, he felt a rectangular object being pressed to his ear.

“Speak,” the first man commanded.

“Hyung?” Changmin said. He didn’t even try to make himself sound more coherent. He didn’t want to scare Yunho, but at the same time, he was so tired.

 _“Changmin-ah,”_ Yunho said. _“Are you okay?”_

Changmin furrowed his eyebrows together. It occurred to him that he couldn't remember the last time Yunho expressed fear before. However, even in the state he was in now, Changmin could hear how scared Yunho really was.

That did nothing to reassure him of the situation.

“Mm...yes…” Changmin finally answered, although he really wasn’t sure if he was really okay. But Changmin really didn’t want to scare Yunho more than he had already seemed to have done. Not to mention, the fact that he wasn’t dead already was a pretty good sign.

_“Changmin. Everything’s going to be fine, okay? I’ll get you home as soon as I can.”_

Changmin smiled at Yunho’s words. The confidence Yunho showed slightly put Changmin at ease. “I...know.”

The man took the phone away, ruining the comfort Changmin had felt at the sound of his brother’s voice. “Time’s up.”

“No,” Changmin whined. He tried reaching for the phone before he was cruelly reminded that his hands were still bound behind his back.

The man ignored him and continued speaking. “Couldn’t risk him causing any trouble,” he said. “Get us what we need. In the meantime, We’ll give you four hours until the next call. You know...to make sure you staying focused.”

Changmin swore he heard a small laugh coming from the man. “And just to make sure you stay motivated…”

Changmin decided right then and there that he hated being blindfolded, because the room suddenly grew quiet again, and he was getting nervous.

He felt someone grab his leg, probably the other man in the room. “What are you doing?” he asked, trying to get away, but failing miserably. His body still wouldn’t cooperate, and his hands were useless while they were bound.

With one hand holding the shin of Changmin’s left leg, and the other hand on top of his foot, the man quickly twisted the joint, earning a scream from the boy. The action caused Changmin’s eyes to water up, and he couldn’t tell if the nausea he suddenly felt was a side effect of whatever drug they might have given him previously, or if it was from the current pain he was experiencing. Either way, Changmin suddenly found himself trying not to vomit. The last thing he wanted to do was make these men angrier by throwing up on them.

“We’re serious, Jung Yunho, the man said after Changmin’s screams died down. “Don’t play any games or we’ll do a lot worse. Are we clear?”

Changmin released a whimper of pain.

“By the way, it’s best we not get the police involved. I would hate to have to put a bullet through Changmin’s brain.”

Changmin hoped that last sentence he heard was just a result of his twisted imagination.

“What do we do with the kid now?” The man with the scary, rough voice asked.

“We’re giving his brother four hours before we call again,” the other man answered. “Until then, we don’t want to risk this kid trying to do anything stupid.”

Changmin was seething at that comment. He was drugged, blindfolded, his hands were tied behind his back, and he most likely had a broken ankle. What could he possibly do except lay down at whatever spot they dumped him in?

He jumped when he felt something pierce his left arm. Changmin hissed when the movement jostled his ankle.

“Relax kid,” the man said. “This will make it hurt less.”

Changmin felt the tension in his body slowly dissolve. The man was right. The burning pain in his ankle eventually died down to a mild throbbing sensation. The fog inhabiting his brain became heavier before his eyes closed.

* * *

Kyuhyun saw the whole thing. It happened right across the street from the coffee shop he and Changmin agreed to meet at.

He had frantically called the police as soon as he was able to control his shaking fingers. Kyuhyun had breathlessly recalled the events, making sure to emphasize that the kidnap victim was the little brother of _the_ Prosecutor Jung Yunho.

Whatever helped to make sure that his best friend was found as quickly as possible.

Thankfully, the two detectives taking the case were close friends of Yunho. He was sure they would take this seriously, not to mention the possibility of them getting involved without endangering Changmin’s life.

“Kyuhyun was able to give us the model of the car, as well as the license plate,” Detective Lee Hyukjae explained to Yunho.

Yunho glared at the detective. He knew finding his brother kidnapper wouldn’t be _that_ easy.

“We found the vehicle abandoned two miles away from where your brother was kidnapped,” Detective Kim Junsu said. “It had been reported stolen three hours before Changmin was kidnapped.”

Yunho sighed, running his fingers through his hair. “So what now?” he asked. “I have a day to turn over all evidence against Kim Jinwoo.” He checked the time on his phone. “They want to call me in...3 hours and 24 minutes to check my progress.”

“We’ll set up a tap,” Hyukjae answered. “We’ll need you to keep them talking for as long as you can.”

Yunho nodded.

Jaejoong cleared his throat, clearly uncomfortable about the whole situation. “The kidnappers said that they’d kill Changmin if they found out police were involved,” he reminded them. “Can you guarantee that Changmin’s going to be safe?”

There was a heavy silence in the room at Jaejoong’s question, and that made Yunho’s heart race once again.

“We would never do anything to put Changmin’s life in danger,” Hyukjae tried to reassure, but he knew he was failing. The worried look on Yunho’s face only intensified. “Changmin will come home. I promise.”

* * *

_“Hello, Mr. Jung,”_ the man greeted casually, causing Yunho to clench his fist in anger. _“I’m assuming you’ve made your decision?”_

Yunho bit his lip. It pained him to even _pretend_ to make a deal with such people, but he’d do anything to get Changmin back. Yunho wasn’t exactly sure as to what Changmin might be facing right now. All Yunho knew was that he was being held captive by dangerous people, and that was enough to send him on edge.

Yunho also knew that Changmin always liked to act tough, but he had no doubt that Changmin was genuinely afraid.

Well...if he was even conscious.

“I’ve made my decision,” Yunho announced. “I’ll get what you want. Just don’t hurt Changmin anymore.”

 _“I knew you’d make the right decision, Yunho,”_ he replied.

“Can I speak to Changmin?” Yunho pleaded. “I want to know that he’s still okay.”

 _“He’s breathing,”_ the man said. _“That’s really all that counts.”_

“Please let me speak to him,” Yunho said. He turned to the group of four detectives in the corner of his office, working anxiously to get a location of the caller. By the looks on their faces, they were struggling.

If they couldn’t come up with anything, Yunho might really have to let Kim Jinwoo go free.

He refused to lose Changmin over this.

“I won’t give you what you want unless I know Changmin’s okay!” Yunho yelled. His voice was shaky but he didn’t care. He was desperate.

 _“You’re not in any room to make demands,”_ the man reminded him. _“I have nothing to lose here. You do.”_

Yunho swallowed the lump in his throat. “You're right,” Yunho whispered. “But please...Let me hear Changmin’s voice. I-I miss him and I want to know he’s okay.”

The man sighed. _“Fine,”_ he said.

Yunho sighed in relief, but that feeling didn’t last too long once he heard Changmin’s voice.

 _“‘llo?”_ Changmin slurred. He sounded even worse than before.

“Changmin,” Yunho gasped. What did they do to him? “It’s me. Are...are you okay?”

 _“I...wanna go home,”_ Changmin replied. Yunho couldn’t tell if it was because Changmin had possibly been drugged again, or if Changmin just didn’t care anymore, but Yunho couldn’t help but notice that his little brother sounded so broken.

“I’m going to get you home as soon as possible,” Yunho continued. “Just be strong for me, okay? It’ll all be over soon.” Yunho glanced at the detectives once more. Please have _something_ by now.

 _“Time’s up,”_ the man said, ending their conversation. _“Now that Changmin’s alive, do you think you can focus on getting your job done?”_

Yunho gritted his teeth. “I got it,” he answered reluctantly.

 _“Expect my call in another four hours,”_ the man said. _“I’ll call you every four hours until you have everything we need. We’ll set up a meet once you’re done.”_

“Okay,” Yunho agreed.

 _“And remember what I said,”_ the man said, practically taunting Yunho. _“If we see cops at the meet, Changmin dies.”_

“There won’t be any cops,” Yunho said. “I just want Changmin back home.”

 _“Follow our orders and you’ll get what you want,”_ the man said. _“It’ll be like this never happened.”_

Yunho became infuriated at that comment. A person getting kidnapped isn’t something anyone forgets! Changmin was the only family that Yunho had left. He felt he would never get over the fact that Changmin’s life had been put in danger.

Before Yunho could reply, the man hung up, ending the call.

“Anything?” he asked the detectives.

Hyukjae gave a remorseful look. “I’m sorry Yunho,” he said.

Yunho shook his head in disbelief. “You couldn’t track them?” he asked.

The detectives shook their heads.

“The signal bounced off six towers,” the technician explained. “But we couldn’t pinpoint an exact location.”

Yunho sighed. Without turning over his evidence against Kim Jinwoo, getting Changmin back looked impossible at this rate. Yunho would do anything to get Changmin back, even if it meant breaking the law.

Sensing what could be passing through Yunho’s mind, Hyukjae and Junsu looked at each other before approaching Yunho.

“Come with us,” Junsu said, gently grabbing Yunho’s arm and leading him out of the office and into the hallway. It was a good idea for the other detectives present to not here what Yunho might say.

“We already know what you’re thinking,” Hyukjae said. “And the answer is no.”

“Well I wasn’t asking for your permission, Hyukjae,” Yunho snapped.

“Think this through, Yunho,” Junsu pleaded. “This man is asking you to turn over evidence against one of the most dangerous men in Seoul.”

“I’m not going to let Changmin die,” Yunho replied. “Especially knowing that there’s a way for me to prevent it.”

“Saving Changmin could end your career,” Hyukjae reminded him. “It could land you in jail. I’m sure Changmin doesn’t want to die, but I think he wouldn’t want you to end up in prison for his sake either!”

“Then what do you suggest we do?” Yunho asked. “Fabricating evidence to send them is out of the question, not with this time limit.”

Junsu nodded. “And they know that too,” he added. “That’s probably why they chose it.”

“If they’re keeping to their schedule, I only have four hours before the next phone call,” Yunho reminded them. “The last thing I want to tell them is that I’ve made no progress in that amount of time.” He shook his head. “They hurt him...they keep drugging him. I can’t let him stay with them any longer. Who knows what they’ll do to him when they start getting impatient?”

“And we understand that,” Hyukjae said. “We want nothing more than for Changmin to come back in a good condition.”

“That’s why you need to let me get the evidence again Kim Jinwoo,” Yunho said, his voice shaking again as he pleaded for the detectives to understand him. “Getting that evidence is the only thing that can save Changmin.”

“I hate to bring this up, Yunho,” Junsu said. “But you do realize that these men may take the evidence from you and still kill Changmin?”

Yunho nodded, his body becoming tense. “I know,” he answered softly. Of course he knew. If these men were anything like Kim Jinwoo, Yunho was aware of the risks. He just didn’t want to focus on that possibility. “But I still have to try.”

Junsu sighed. “Yunho…” he said, his voice pleading with Yunho to see reason.

“I know I’m breaking the law,” Yunho acknowledged. “The two of you are good friends of mine. I would never want to force the two of you to choose between me and your jobs.” Yunho bit his lip, turning his gaze away from them. “I won’t be mad at the two of you if you arrest me. But please, don’t arrest me until after I save Changmin.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> On my road to recovery I wrote this.


	2. Chapter 2

Changmin really hated waking up disoriented and confused, but he really didn’t have a choice in the matter. Since these men have such short tempers, he figured it was a good idea to not complain much.

It’s not like he could do much talking anyway. Every word he said - or tried to say - made him sound like a drunk grandpa. It made talking and striking up a conversation with these men a lot less appealing.

Changmin could feel his broken ankle throbbing. Despite the fact that he hated how the drugs made him feel, he did wish someone could give him something to soothe the pain. A drug that worked even while he was awake - and lucid.

If he could move his body, if he wasn’t still blindfolded, if his ankles weren't broken, if his arms weren’t tied behind him maybe he would feel a little better about the situation.

“Hey kid,” the man with the deep voice said. “Are you awake?”

Changmin slowly nodded. His head was pounding, so any extra movement seemed like a bad idea.

“We’re calling your brother again in a few minutes,” he continued. “Depending on how the conversation goes, we’ll get moving.”

That last sentence caused Changmin’s mind to clear up a little. Had Yunho met their demands? Was he about to be moved to do this exchange?

Changmin gave a small sigh of relief. He wasn’t sure if the other man had paid attention to him or noticed, but Changmin didn’t care. In a few hours, he’d be going home.

He heard the sound of a door opening, steady footsteps approaching his prone form.

The man who always made the phone calls must have entered.

“There might be a change of plans.”

Yup. That was definitely him.

Despite the drugs still flowing through his system, the man’s announcement caused Changmin’s anxiety levels to slightly increase.

“Someone leaked the story of Changmin’s kidnapping,” he explained.

Changmin wanted to point out that usually, when a person gets kidnapped, it ends up on the news. However, his abundance of common sense, combined with his lack of energy, forced Changmin to keep his mouth shut.

But Changmin began to realize why such an event should worry him.

“I don’t think your big brother is taking this seriously enough.”

Changmin stiffened.

“Time to raise the stakes.”

 

* * *

_“Hey, Yunho! What’s going on?”_ Kim Heechul asked. He was clearly upset about something.

Yunho furrowed his eyebrows together in confusion. He broke his attention away from his computer. “Hyung...what are you talking about?” He really didn’t have time for any of Heechul’s games today; not with Changmin’s life on the line.

_“Changmin’s kidnapping? It’s all over the news.”_ Heechul replied. _“Ah, the little guy got kidnapped and you didn’t tell me…”_

“Heechul, wait,” Yunho demanded. “Changmin’s kidnapping is on the news?” He turned back onto his computer. Closing the files open on the screen, he opened the internet browser and got onto a local news website. Sure enough, Changmin’s kidnapping was the main headline.

“No,” Yunho said breathlessly. This can’t be happening. Who could have leaked this?

_“Yunho, what’s going on?”_ Heechul asked.

“Heechul I…I don’t have much time to explain,” Yunho choked. “But Changmin’s been kidnapped and they specifically said no cops!”

_“Yunho-”_

“If the kidnappers see what’s on the news they’ll know the cops are involved!” Yunho continued. He could tell that his panic was getting worse but he didn’t care.

_“What does that mean for Changmin?”_ Heechul asked. It was obvious that he was completely shaken by the whole thing.

Yunho shook his head. “I don’t know, Heechul,” he answered. “I’ve got to call the detectives...I’ll...I’ll call you back as soon as I can.”

Yunho quickly ended the call with Heechul, not even waiting for the older one’s reply. What made this situation worse was that the people that have Changmin didn’t give him a callback number. Yunho wanted nothing more than to call those people and tell them that Yunho didn’t intend for Changmin’s kidnapping to go public, but there was no way of doing that now.

Technically, Kyuhyun was the one that called the police anyway, not Yunho. That should mean something to those guys, shouldn’t it?

They haven’t called Yunho yet. Maybe they haven’t seen the news?

Or they’re in the process of dumping Changmin’s body somewhere.

Yunho shook that last thought out of his head. Changmin was still alive; he was sure of that.

He quickly dialed Detective Lee’s number.

_“Yunho-”_

“Changmin’s story is all over the news,” Yunho cut him off. “How did this happen?”

Hyukjae sighed. _“I have no idea,”_ he answered truthfully. _“But we have to assume that Kyuhyun wasn’t the only witness. There was probably someone else that saw what happened, they just didn’t come forward, and leaked the story to the press instead once they figured out who Changmin was.”_

Yunho shook his head. “If the kidnappers see this-”

_“You’re getting Changmin back, Yunho,”_ Hyukjae said, cutting him off.

“It’s almost time for their next call-in,” Yunho announced. “I don’t have everything ready yet.”

_“It hasn’t been twenty-four hours.”_

“Yeah,” Yunho agreed. “But if they know what’s on the news, that could mean they could get impatient.”

_“You have about forty-five minutes before the next call in, right?”_ Hyukjae asked.

“Yeah,” Yunho answered. “Look I gotta go. When Changmin’s kidnappers call, I want to be able to tell him that I’m ready to meet. I should be almost done with everything next time he calls.”

 

* * *

Changmin stopped counting every time he woke at this point.

No pressure on Yunho, but Changmin was ready for him to come to the rescue any time now. This was getting kind of boring.

Changmin realized that he was now laying on his back; the pain in his ankle was barely noticeable at this point, but by the cloudy feeling in his head, he could guess that was from the help of the drugs.

Changmin felt something crawling on his right arm. He quickly swatted the creature, hoping there weren’t more where that came from.

Wait. His hands were free now? When did this happen?

Why did this happen?

“H-Hello?” Changmin weakly called out. Surely those men wouldn’t have removed the ties around his wrists and then leave him alone, would they?

Changmin may have a broken ankle, but he’d still find a way to get out of here. He didn’t care how his possible escape might further damage his leg. He just wanted to go home.

Changmin realized that he still couldn’t see, so the blindfold must still be covering his eyes.

This seemed too easy.

But Changmin hated the disorienting feel that came with being blindfolded, and was desperate to remove it.

Slowly, Changmin brought his hand to his face.

There was no blindfold.

But he still couldn’t see.

The thick darkness did nothing to calm Changmin’s nerves, and seemed to irritate him even more.

Where were those guys anyway?

“Hello?” Changmin tried again, this time noticing a small echo of his voice.

No response.

Changmin knew that it would be near to impossible to escape without his sight. But if he was here, alone, and unbound, then Changmin would take as much time as he needed to find an exit.

Or a light.

“Hello?” he tried again, just to make sure. At this point Changmin was one hundred percent certain that the men that took him were nowhere near him.

Changmin took a deep breath. Standing up was going to hurt, but he’d try it anyway.

Taking a few deep breaths, Changmin brought himself into a sitting position-

-and immediately smacked his head onto something above him.

“What?” he whispered in confusion as he brought his hand to the sore spot on his forehead.

He raised his hands up, feeling the wooden barrier above him.

What was going on?

The realization hit Changmin like a ton of bricks. Changmin may be smart, but it didn’t take a genius to know what was going on.

Yunho hadn’t paid the ransom.

Changmin wasn’t given an opportunity to escape; he was left to die.

Changmin was buried alive.

 

* * *

_“You made a mistake, Yunho,”_ the man said.

Yunho frantically shook his head. “I don’t know how Changmin’s kidnapping got on the news,” he said. “But I swear, I have Kim Jinwoo’s case. I can meet you and give it to you.”

_“You lost that chance already,”_ he replied. _“We thought taking your brother would cause you to take this seriously.”_

“I am!” Yunho shot back. “I’m taking this seriously. You’ve got to believe me.” He sighed. “Please let me meet with you. I have all the evidence against Kim Jinwoo with me.”

There was a long silence over the phone, and Yunho had to check to see if the man had hung up on him.

_“Okay,”_ the man finally said. _“We’ll meet.”_

Yunho sighed in relief.

_“But the rules have changed.”_

Of course they have.

_“I’ve taken some extra precautions to make sure you’re really into this.”_

“Like what?”

_“You know I can’t tell you that,”_ the man replied. _“Changmin is alive - for now.”_

Yunho wasn’t sure whether that man was trying to be reassuring, but Yunho released a shaky breath before speaking. “Tell me where to go,” he commanded, getting his nerves under control. “I have your evidence and you have Changmin for me.” He took a deep breath. “Can I speak to him?”

“Maybe later,” the man quickly answered. “You have a schedule to keep, Yunho.”

Yunho sighed. The man was right. If Yunho tried arguing with this man, he could waste valuable time getting Changmin back, and Yunho just wanted this whole thing to be over.

_“You have an hour,”_ the man continued. _“Here’s what we need from you.”_

* * *

Changmin started thinking about their parents.

Changmin was adopted.

He never met his biological parents. When he was twelve, he did have a deep curiosity of where he came from. His parents were supportive of that, and actually helped him look.

Their search was a dead end. Changmin assumed his biological parents either left the country, or they died.

Either way, Changmin knew he would never meet them, and never talked about wanting to meet them again.

Now, laying in what he could assume was his coffin, Changmin wished he could at least find out who his parents were. It just didn’t seem fair that he was going to die without knowing.

But life really is unfair.

Changmin was fifteen years old when his adoptive parents died. Changmin, Yunho, and their parents were driving back to Seoul after visiting family in Gwangju. Changmin didn’t remember much from the accident. The only things he remembered were the actual collision, and then waking up at the hospital with a really bad headache. Yunho was sitting at his bedside, partially asleep.

He remembered watching Yunho break down as he told Changmin that their parents died in that accident.

Changmin remembered how much Yunho changed after that night. He really couldn’t blame him. Yunho somehow only sustained bruises after the car stopped rolling, only to find that their father died on the spot, their mother was dying, and his little brother was completely unconscious.

After that night, Yunho became extra protective of Changmin.

And right now, Changmin was worried about Yunho.

Because Yunho’s overprotective nature came with anxiety. Ever since the accident, if Yunho felt that Changmin was harmed in anyway, he panicked. Yunho knew that he couldn’t control everything, but despite that knowledge, he still felt guilty anytime something “bad” happened to Changmin, even if it wasn’t anything terrible.

It was usually Changmin that had to talk Yunho out of his mood. He would tell his older brother that he was okay, and that whatever happened wasn’t his fault.

He did everything he could to keep Yunho sane.

But if Changmin was down here, who was helping Yunho?

Changmin squeezed his eyes shut. “I’m okay, Yunho,” he whispered. “And I really need you to be okay too.”

 

* * *

Yunho always brought Changmin for walks along the Han River. It was a tradition their father started, and Yunho wanted to make sure he kept that tradition alive. Changmin loved spending his day at the river.

Which made Yunho wonder if the river was chosen as pure coincidence or if they somehow found out how special this place was to Yunho and Changmin.

Yunho was ready to write this day off as the second worst day of his life.

Yunho brought all the files, just as he was instructed.

It was pushing 1 AM, which proved to be a good thing. No one was here at the ferry dock, which guaranteed this going much smoother had there been people around.

“Prosecutor Jung,” Yunho heard a familiar voice from behind.

He quickly turned around, seeing two men approach him.

Yunho furrowed his eyebrows together in confusion as he looked around. There was no sign of Changmin, and Yunho refused to give them anything unless they handed over Changmin.

“Don’t worry,” the skinny man with the curly hair said. This was definitely the man Yunho had been speaking to over the phone. “We have your brother in another location.”

“That wasn’t part of the deal!” Yunho argued.

“Oh Yunho,” the man replied. “We know the friendship you have with the police. Don’t think after Changmin’s kidnapping making the news we wouldn’t know they would be involved.”

Yunho felt a lump forming in his throat. His mouth had become dry because thinking about what that possibly meant for Changmin didn’t make him feel good in the slightest. “Where is he?”

“We have him stashed away somewhere,” he answered casually. “And we’ll let you know where he is.” A smirk appeared on the man’s face. “But Changmin’s running out of time. You can stand there and explore the possibilities in your mind about where Changmin could be. You can debate with yourself whether or not this whole drop is worth it, but consider this; every second you spend doubting me, is another second that brings Changmin closer to death. So...what will it be.”

The man’s words stung at Yunho but he was right; if Changmin had a limited time, Yunho had no time to consider anything. Wordlessly, he handed the man his files.

“Excellent choice, Yunho,” the man said. The man’s phone took to ringing at that moment. He was quick in answering the call. The conversation was short, the man giving one syllable responses every few seconds until finally the man ended the call.

Yunho went on high alert after the look on the man’s face.

“We had some friends survey this area for police, just in case you wanted to try something funny,” he explained.

Yunho shook his head. “I didn’t bring anybody.” He wouldn’t do anything to bring further harm to Changmin.

The man nodded. “You’re just as smart as everyone says,” he replied. “We wanted to make sure no one would follow us after this. My men found the area to be clean.” He began typing something in his phone. “I’m sending you the coordinates to Changmin’s location. I’d be fast if I were you.”

* * *

Changmin wasn’t sure how long he had been down here. He also didn’t know exactly when his headache began to form.

All Changmin knew was that waiting to be rescued has got to be one of the most boring things he’d ever done.

Changmin chuckled at that thought.

Here he was, buried alive and about to die, and his biggest complaint was his boredom.

So what would kill him first, lack of oxygen or the boredom?

Changmin was hoping he wouldn’t find out.

* * *

The coordinates led to an old church. It was abandoned years ago. No one really went in and out of it, except for the children who found it to be a great hide and seek spot.

Changmin was one of those children once upon a time.

Junsu and Eunhyuk promised not to get involved at the ransom drop, which Yunho was grateful for, given the circumstances, but that didn’t mean they wouldn’t be as close as possible. They found themselves at the nearest convenient store, drinking their sodas and waiting for the drop to finish before Yunho updated them.

Both of their phones went off at the same time, signaling the end of the drop.

“Let’s go,” Junsu said before the two of them rushed out the door.

If Yunho’s message was right, Changmin wouldn’t be too far away.

They just hoped that Changmin would be alive once they arrived.

 

* * *

The only reason a person should ever be this sweaty and out of breath is after running a marathon, not after lying still for God knows how long.

Changmin could feel a pulsing sensation at his temples. His heart was beating faster, but he wasn’t sure if it was from panic or the low oxygen levels.

He wondered where Yunho was right now.

 

* * *

“Changmin!” Yunho yelled again. Perhaps Changmin was unconscious? They split up and searched the church but there wasn’t a sign of him anywhere.

Hyukjae and Yunho met in the middle of the pews when their searches came up empty. Yunho was getting frantic. If Changmin wasn’t in here, where could he be? Did those men just trick Yunho into giving them the evidence against Kim Jinwoo?

Was Changmin already dead?

“Yunho!” Hyukjae said, placing his hands on the other man’s shoulders and gently shaking him. “We’ll find Changmin,” he promised, as if he just read Yunho’s mind. It probably wasn't too hard, since Yunho's frantic breathing was already an indicator of what Yunho was thinking. “We should look for Junsu. If he’s taking this long then maybe he found something.”

Hyukjae ended up being right.

Junsu was the one who found what he was sure was Changmin’s spot, and they weren’t too far behind when that happened.

Behind the church was what used to be a colorful garden. Now it was just an empty field.

In the middle of that field was a fresh mound of dirt with a shovel lying on top.

“Hyukjae,” Junsu said breathlessly, as he heard the two men approaching him from behind. “Call for an ambulance.”

 

* * *

Changmin couldn’t breathe.

There was a tremendous amount of pressure on his chest. His heart was violently beating in his chest. Every futile breath he took came in the form of a pained gasp by now.

Changmin desperately wished that he could hear something else besides the blood rushing through his head or his labored breathing. He’d give anything to hear Yunho’s voice one more time, even if it meant the older one was scolding him. He’d give anything to hear one of Kyuhyun’s mean jokes right now.

Changmin didn’t realize he had started to cry until he felt the tears escape from his eyes and run down the side of his face.

He didn’t want to die; not yet; not like this.

Changmin never realized that suffocating would hurt this much...or be so scary.

It was something he would never wish on anyone.

He weakly clawed at his chest, which Changmin knew was ridiculous. There was nothing physically stopping Changmin’s ability to breathe, yet his body instinctively tried to fight off threats that weren’t there.

A sob escaped Changmin’s lips.

He was trying to only think of happy thoughts until Yunho got here; because Yunho was going to get here, Changmin knew he would; but that was hard to do when your head was pulsating with an alarming intensity.

But he still tried focus on happy childhood memories that he always held dear. His mind was so jumbled, he couldn't think straight, but it was the only thing that distracted him from the painful situation he was in, even if it was only a few seconds at a time.

The last thing that went through Changmin’s mind was his mother softly singing for him to go to sleep.

So he did.

 

* * *

Hyukjae had to physically hold Yunho back from digging up what could possibly be his little brother.

Yunho couldn’t blame him; he knew he’d be no help.

Yunho was always the type that was quick to act. But right now, he was dizzy, his heart was racing, he was having difficulty breathing, and his hands couldn’t stop shaking. The fastest way to get Changmin was for Yunho to not try to help.

And that’s a fact that hurt Yunho even more.

All Yunho wanted to do was push Junsu out of the way and finish digging. Changmin was his little brother; Changmin was Yunho’s responsibility, and Yunho was the one who should be rescuing him.

But the rational side of his mind told him to let Junsu handle everything, so painfully, he did.

Yunho felt his knees weaken as he watched Junsu stop digging through the shallow grave. He swallowed the lump in his throat as he made his way closer. Hyukjae broke the lid of the coffin open.

He felt his heart race as the two detectives lifted Changmin out of the coffin and carefully placed him onto the ground.

He was on his knees by the time Hyukjae began chest compressions, with Junsu providing air for Changmin. Yunho held one of Changmin’s hands as he prayed that his brother woke up soon.

It felt like hours, but the three of them heard a weak gasp, followed by a series of coughs and wheezes. Yunho cringed as Changmin struggled to get enough air into his lungs. Yunho suddenly felt he could breathe better once he noticed Changmin’s breathing even out.

He didn’t hesitate to pull Changmin into his arms once he saw the younger one slowly open his eyes, holding Changmin tightly to his chest as he whispered comforting words into his brother's ear.

They stayed in that position until the ambulance finally came.

 

* * *

Changmin wasn’t sure how he felt once he woke up. Surprised maybe, because he was sure he wasn’t going to survive; confused, because how did he survive; and relieved, because it felt so good to be anywhere except underground.

The white of the room was a complete contrast to the darkness he was held in for several hours, and that fact alone made him feel so much safer than before. That reassurance made Changmin release a sigh of relief.

Then he tried moving his arm and felt the pinch of an IV before he finally realized he was in the hospital.

“Changmin?”

“Hyung,” Changmin replied, immediately recognizing Yunho's concerned voice. Changmin's voice cracked when he spoke but he almost didn’t notice. It felt good to speak to Yunho when he wasn’t being used as a bargaining chip.

He turned his head to face Yunho properly. The older one was sitting in a chair facing Changmin’s bad.

He was a mess.

Yunho’s hair was in in a complete state of disarray, dark circles rimmed his weary eyes. Changmin wasn’t sure how long he’d been unconscious, but Yunho looked as if he’d aged 10 years.

“Are you okay?” Changmin finally asked after studying the older one’s appearance.

A sound escaped Yunho’s lips, somewhere between a laugh and a sob, Changmin wasn’t sure. “Am I okay?” Yunho asked breathlessly. “Changmin…” he trailed off, turning his face away for a few seconds. He felt vulnerable, and he knew Changmin could sense that.

Yunho slowly stood up and wrapped his arms around Changmin. Changmin responded by burying his face into his brother’s shoulder, holding him tightly as he fisted Yunho's already wrinkled shirt.

“I’m so sorry, Min,” Yunho whispered. His voice was shaky; the relief was overwhelming.

“It’s not your fault,” Changmin immediately responded, still holding tightly to Yunho.

“How are you feeling?” Yunho finally asked. Neither he nor Changmin opted to break their hug. While holding Changmin in his arms was a reassurance to him that Changmin is okay, Yunho also knew that Changmin usually didn't show affection like this. Changmin was shaken up about this ordeal, Yunho had no trouble seeing that, especially with the younger one still holding Yunho tightly for dear life.

“Fine,” Changmin replied. “My leg’s not hurting.”

Yunho nodded. “They gave you something for that,” he said. “They broke your ankle.” Yunho noticed the anger that seeped through his words. He was sure Changmin noticed it too, but chose to ignore it.

Changmin nodded, briefly turning his head to notice the cast bound to his slightly elevated ankle.

Yunho suddenly felt Changmin shaking, causing him to hold him impossibly tighter. “It’s okay, Changmin,” he soothed as he ran his fingers through Changmin’s hair. He felt his shoulder becoming wet with Changmin’s tears and was actually relieved that Changmin wasn't trying to bottle this up like he would normally do.

“Hyung," he choked. "I almost-” he cut himself off with a sob.

“You’re safe now,” Yunho reassured both himself and Changmin. Changmin was safe now. He was here, at a hospital, away from the men that could hurt him more.

Changmin was the one to finally break the hug. “Sorry,” he said, wiping the tears away from his face as he tried to hide his embarrassment.

Yunho sat at the edge of the bed, facing Changmin as he swept the bangs from Changmin’s face. “No need for you to apologize for crying over this,” he said, a smile forming on his face as he tried to get his little brother to look him in the eye. “We were both scared, and I can't even begin to imagine what you went though.”

“What did those men want?” Changmin asked.

Yunho released a sigh. “There was a case I’m working on,” he answered. “They wanted me to turn over evidence to them and drop the case.”

Changmin’s eyes widened. “So what did you do?”

“Changmin I had to give them everything,” Yunho said, he pretended not to notice Changmin’s eyes widen even more. “They would have killed you if I didn’t and I wasn’t going to let them do that.” Yunho wasn't sure why he suddenly became defensive and felt the need to justify his actions.

“Yunho-”

“You’re too important,” Yunho continued. “And I’d do it again if I had to.”

Changmin felt his eyes watering again. "You could have lost your job."

"I could have lost you," Yunho countered.

The room became silent, Changmin biting his lip as he realized everything Yunho might have sacrificed for him.

“I heard mom singing,” Changmin said suddenly, surprising Yunho. “The last thing I heard was her singing to me. I knew you were still coming for me, but after hearing her singing I couldn’t stay awake anymore. I was so...so tired...and relaxed.”

Something cut at Yunho’s heart after hearing Changmin say that he confidently waited for his older brother right until he stopped breathing. It pained him even more to know that in what might have been his last moments of consciousness, he heard their mother singing to him, as if she were personally asking him to join her and their father.

“Of course I was coming for you, Changmin,” Yunho replied, pulling his brother into another hug. This time, tears were falling from Yunho's eyes and he didn't bother to try to stop them this time. “I always will.”

Changmin nodded as a smile crossed his lips. “I know.”

 

* * *

“Kim Jinwoo!” the prison guard yelled. “You’re moving today.”

The older man smiled. Prosecutor Jung must have come through. It amused Kim Jinwoo with just how easy Yunho was manipulated. Yunho always had a “holier than thou” complex, and swore that nothing could ever compromise his ethics.

But Kim Jinwoo always knew that every man has a price; the issue is just always about finding the right one.

The guard opened the cell.

Kim Jinwoo glanced at his now former cellmate in disgust. The man talked too much, and Kim Jinwoo was relieved that he would never see him again.

Exiting the cell, he followed the guard down the corridor.

“So I guess I’m leaving this place for good?” Kim Jinwoo asked with a content smile on his face. “I heard what happened to Prosecutor Jung’s brother. That’s very sad. I’m sure taking some time away would be good for him.”

The guard scoffed.

Kim Jinwoo looked around as he continued to follow the guard. “Where are we going?” he asked as they continued down the corridor, passing what was supposed to be Kim Jinwoo’s exit.

“So you really didn’t hear?” the guard questioned.

Kim Jinwoo looked at him in confusion, prompting him to continue.

“You’re not being released,” the guard continued. “There’s been more evidence brought up against you.” He scoffed. “Two people that claim to work with you were arrested, and they confessed to your conspiring for the Jung kidnapping." The guard noticed the smug look on Kim Jinwoo's face slowly turn into one of fear, so he continued. "With everything brought up against you, you’re getting the death penalty.”

“No,” Kim Jinwoo breathed out. This couldn’t be happening. Everything was working so well. Those two swore they weren’t being tracked. How did this happen? He was in shock, the only thing his body was able to do was stare forward.

Kim Jinwoo didn’t even notice that he had stopped walking, until he felt the guard shove him forward.

A walk that felt like 100 kilometers eventually led him to his new cell.

The last cell he would ever inhabit.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This story was pretty much an experiment


End file.
